2007 2007 PHARMACEUTICAL PHARMACEUTICAL

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE CONGRESS-ROLE OF THE CONGRESS-ROLE OF THE STATES IN REGULATING STATES IN REGULATING

PHARMACEUTICAL PHARMACEUTICAL ENTERPRISE ENTERPRISE

James G. SheehanNew York Medicaid Inspector GeneralJGS05@OMIG.state.ny.us518 473-3782

DISCLAIMERDISCLAIMER

My opinions, not State of New York policyI cannot give legal advice, since I am not

yet a New York lawyer No peeking at name badges during question

time

KEY TRENDS IN STATE KEY TRENDS IN STATE REGULATION AND REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENT

Growth in Medicaid-$330 billion and counting-and Medicaid oversight

Improvements in data reporting, data aggregation and data mining

Capture of quality improvement-mandatory reporting information

State investigation and enforcement of FDA and pharma relationship issues

Medicaid growth and oversightMedicaid growth and oversight Default national health care-12%+of population, $330

billion this year and growing CMS-Incentives to states-$1.5 billion for health

modernization-but you better collect it all back through fraud and abuse recoveries (NY)

2 CMS oversight to 100 CMS oversight staff in two years PERM(payment error rate measurement)-first results for

first 13 states on eligibility errors and provider payment errors out in next two weeks

Medicaid enforcement growth in next five years looks like Medicare over part 10 years-migration of experience, expertise, contractors

Medicaid Growth and OversightMedicaid Growth and Oversight

“Unique opportunity to identify, recover, and prevent inappropriate Medicaid payments”(CMS Medicaid Integrity Plan statement)

How many auditors in the Medicaid area?– State program integrity audits– State controller, MFCU audits– CMS Medicaid Integrity Contractors (MICs)– CMS Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP) audits-rolled out by

Summer 2008– State qui tams False Claims Acts(37 states)– County audits in New York– CMS PERM auditors

Data Reporting, Data Data Reporting, Data Aggregation, Data miningAggregation, Data mining

More than 20 firms have competing analytics systems to dice and slice health data (not just claims) for improper payments

Teradata platforms to aggregate claims data across programs, across states, across state-federal lines

Fraud identification moving away from law enforcement/investigative agencies toward program agencies and analytics contractors-credit card model

Speed of data analysis has increased exponentially Major concern-integration of human intuition, confidence

Data Reporting, Aggregation Data Reporting, Aggregation A coming attraction-but coming soon

– Part D data not yet reconciled– Part D data not yet integrated w/Medicaid data– Medicaid data not integrated between states– Medicaid claims include inconsistent codes for same

products– DUR and override data needs integration with claims

data – BUT ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING

BEGINNING NEXT YEAR

Issues for Pharma in Data Issues for Pharma in Data Aggregation, Data Mining Aggregation, Data Mining

Longitudinal patient care and outcome dataPharmacy single biggest area of claims,

most reliable coding, largest players-perfect demo area for data mining products-and cases

Example: New York suit against Merck for cardiovascular patients on Vioxx

Opportunities for Pharma in Opportunities for Pharma in Medicaid data mining by statesMedicaid data mining by states

Drugs don’t work if you don’t take themDemonstration of outcomes improvement in

Medicaid population with specified interventions

Partnership opportunities with fraud data miners for audit, compliance purposes

Use of state databases? (privacy concerns, free or pay)

Quality Improvement-Mandatory Quality Improvement-Mandatory Reporting informationReporting information

Pennsylvania statutory model-independent patient safety authority

New York model-IPRO reviewed of Medicaid case sample to identified unreported reportable events

30 states-some mandatory reporting Institute for Health Care Improvement -100,000

lives campaign CMS-no payment for mistakes

Compliance Risks for PHARMA Compliance Risks for PHARMA in mandatory reportingin mandatory reporting

Greatly enhanced reporting and analysis of drug mishaps in acute inpatient care, improving reporting in long-term care

More effective longitudinal studies of patient progress, adverse events, similar to Bennett studies of EPO

Early identification, motivated analysis of adverse event patterns

Does your company know what others are discovering from the data? Are marketing and medical avoiding finding out?

Real world information-not just controlled trials

STATE INVESTIGATION AND STATE INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT-FDA ISSUESENFORCEMENT-FDA ISSUES

NOT JUST CRIMINAL- CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPOSURE-AND EXCLUSION RISK

NO AUTOMATIC DEFERENCE TO FDA ON LAW OR POLICY

-JOINT TEAMS WITH STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL, MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL UNITS, AND MEDICAID INSPECTORS GENERAL

NOT JUST GOVERNMENT-PRIVATE FEE COUNSEL FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, QUI TAM COUNSEL

NOT JUST CRIMINAL . . .NOT JUST CRIMINAL . . .

CIVIL RISK-NEW YORK AG SUIT VS. Merck on VIOXX-failure to disclose and false statements about cardiovascular risk to prescribing physicians

ADMINISTRATIVE RISK-state penalty provisions for “improper practices”-censure, penalties-issue preclusion

NOT JUST CRIMINAL . . .NOT JUST CRIMINAL . . .ADMINISTRATIVE RISK-

– Exclusion risk for enterprise low because of need for sole source drugs, but . . .

– Potential exclusion of executives, consultants, medical directors, customers

– Collateral effects of individual exclusions One program = all programs Can’t employ Affiliated persons exclusions

NO AUTOMATIC DEFERENCE NO AUTOMATIC DEFERENCE TO FDA ON LAW OR POLICYTO FDA ON LAW OR POLICY

Federal position-how can we take a position not supported by the federal agency charged with oversight of the subject (which is also a client)

State position-what science or policy supports the position FDA has taken? What evidence did FDA consider (or ignore) in the positions it took? Does it gather any evidence?

Pharma State LitigationPharma State Litigation Problem-federal process has been extremely slow,

focussed primarily on settlement– Greater federal resources meant federal lead– Resource balance now shifting to states– First state that successfully goes it alone may shift balance– Should big states go it alone? (better, more comprehensive data,

higher reimbursement, more control over case, large groups other than Medicaid, litigation in state forum)

– Do states have better statutes? Consumer protection vs. fraud, different damages calculations, parens patriae standing

Pharma State LitigationPharma State Litigation

Fed lead-but will everyone follow Individual State Lead NAAG (National Association of Attorneys

General ) or multistate project Private contingent fee counsel-single or multiple

states (e.g., Lilly Zyprexa litigation)– Often, counsel who have separate class actions

Qui tam counsel (37 states) County counsel

THE NEWER FDA CASE-THE NEWER FDA CASE-MISBRANDINGMISBRANDING

USA v. Ross Caputo-2006 WL 2946191 ND Ill. 10/16/2006)-ten year sentence in misbranding case

FDA approval obtained for sterilizer for flat stainless steel instruments without tubes or hinges; marketed to hospitals for sterilizing endoscopes and other devices

“Too often, as in this case, corporate officials . . . answer . . .lack of criminal intent in the face of repeated and unheeded red flags.”

Six year sentence for compliance officer-”Riley’s actions as AbTox’s Chief Compliance Officer were woefully and criminally inadequate.”

THE NEWER FDA CASE-THE NEWER FDA CASE-MISBRANDINGMISBRANDING

Dr. Peter Gleason-CR-1:06-cr-00229(EDNY) Xyrem (controlled substance) approved only for

patients with both narcolepsy and certain other related conditions

Psychiatrist alleged to promote Xyrem through lectures for off-label indications, including Parkinson’s and bipolar disorder

Lectures promoting drug for off-label use was part of misbranding conspiracy

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEDERAL MISBRANDING FEDERAL MISBRANDING

CASES?CASES?Each misbranding indictment also

contained a mail fraud or health fraud allegation

Why?

THE EXPANSION OF THE EXPANSION OF EXPOSURE-CRIMINAL, CIVIL, EXPOSURE-CRIMINAL, CIVIL,

ADMINISTRATIVEADMINISTRATIVEParke-Davis(Warner-Lambert/Pfizer)

neurontin-2004– $240 million criminal fine– $83.6 million-federal civil false claims

settlement “ fraudulent drug promotion and marketing misconduct”

– $68.4 million -50 states and DC

THE EXPANSION OF THE EXPANSION OF EXPOSURE-CRIMINAL, CIVIL, EXPOSURE-CRIMINAL, CIVIL,

ADMINISTRATIVEADMINISTRATIVESerono settlement-2005-DMass.

– -prosecution and $567 million settlement– Off-label market and misbranding serostim

Intermune settlement-2006-ND Cal.– Deferred prosecution;$36.9 million settlement

for off-label marketing– Schering settlement-2006-settlement included

off-label marketing

CRIMINAL, CIVIL EXPOSURE CRIMINAL, CIVIL EXPOSURE

FRAUD ON THE FDA – CLINICAL TRIALS AND REPORTS-HOW DID THE PRODUCT GET APPROVED?

FRAUD ON THE FDA AND PAYORS-HOW DID THE COMPANY RETAIN APPROVAL?

FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMS-BUT FOR FRAUD ON FDA, OUR PATIENTS WOULD NOT BE USING OR PAYING

FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMS-THIS IS NOT THE BRANDED PRODUCT OR QUALITY WE THOUGHT WE WERE BUYING

CRIMINAL, CIVIL EXPOSURECRIMINAL, CIVIL EXPOSURE

FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMS-BUT FOR(FALSE OR MISLEADING) OFF-LABEL PROMOTION, DOCTORS WOULD NOT HAVE USED THIS PRODUCT WITH OUR PATIENTS

FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMS-FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION TO COMPENDIA,PBMS,PUBLISHED JOURNALS

FRAUD ON PAYOR FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMSPROGRAMS

But for fraud on the FDA, our patients would not be using or paying for this product

Information communicated which is inconsistent with the scientific evidence is “false or misleading” and evidence of misbranding.

Payor relied on labelling and FDA approval as basis for payment.

FRAUD ON PAYOR FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMS PROGRAMS

This is not the product or quality we thought we were buying. Schering-Plough GMP Consent Decree-$500 million disgorgement of profits-2002

FRAUD ON PAYOR FRAUD ON PAYOR PROGRAMSPROGRAMS

But for misleading information to physicians, we would not have claims for this product.

But for misleading off-label promotion of this product, we would not have claims. United States ex rel. Franklin v. Parke-Davis 147 F. Supp. 2d 39(D. Mass. 2001) See generally Glaxo SmithKline settlement with New York.

But for misleading information to journals or compendia(42 U.S.C. 1396r-8(k)(3-6) ), we would not have paid these claims because they were not for a medically accepted indication.

WHY THE FOCUS ON WHY THE FOCUS ON PROGRAM FRAUD?PROGRAM FRAUD?

FRAUD STATUTES BASED ON CONCEPT OF ECONOMIC HARM

QUI TAM WHISTLEBLOWER PROVISIONS OF FALSE CLAIMS ACT

EXTENSIVE CASE LAW ON FRAUD AND FALSE CLAIMS, MUCH LESS ON FDA VIOLATIONS

ARGUMENTS ABOUT INADMISSABILITY OF HARM EVIDENCE IN REGULATORY CASE

RANGE OF PARTICIPANTS, SOME WITH ONLY RICO AS THEIR CASE THEORY-See, e.g., Lilly litigation in Brooklyn

RECENT EXAMPLE:SERONORECENT EXAMPLE:SERONO

October 2005-government settles whistleblower allegations for $704 million:

Serono was giving physicians non-FDA approved computer software “device” calculating body mass; device was set to falsely diagnose AIDS wasting

Serono engaged in off-label marketing of Serostim for AIDS wasting, including misleading information

Serono paid kickbacks to physicians to advocate for Serostim

HOT ISSUESHOT ISSUESBrave New World of Drug and Device

Approvals and Payment-the Carotid Stenting Model

Future Qui Tams-USA ex rel. Poteet v. Medtronic

Use of product in unapproved settingsMisleading quality and outcomes data Industry Codes and Consequences

THE CAROTID STENT-FDATHE CAROTID STENT-FDASignificant advance in treatment of carotid

stenosis with related stroke risk FDA approval of Guidant CAS systemand

embolic protection devices-FDA-requires specific training of

physicians, delivery only to trained persons

CRIME-FRAUD ISSUE IN DRUG/ CRIME-FRAUD ISSUE IN DRUG/ MEDICAL DEVICE ENFORCEMENTMEDICAL DEVICE ENFORCEMENT

“TO THE EXTENT THAT xyz, ATTORNEY, AND Firm argue that they were shipping a product that was failing at a rate higher than label specifications suggest, and that they knew field failures were likely to occur at such a rate, the crime fraud exception makes any claim to work product immunity (fail) . . . In Re: Grand Jury Subpoena, 3/16/04 D. Mass., 2004 WL 515651

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

MEDICAID-NOT JUST PROSECUTIONPROGRAM INTEGRITY-Build controls

on front endBut-many entities in this spaceNot all are as reasonable as the New York

Office of Medicaid Inspector General